The Will of God – Can You Really Know it?
Dr. Chuck F. Betters, Guest Writer
Today’s Treasure
"Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added unto you." Matthew 6:33
Any Christian worth his or her calling to Christ demands in their soul to know the mind and the heart of God. Kids graduating from high school want to know where to go to college or for that matter whether or not to go to college at all, what to major in, how to pay for it, etc. They make all sorts of preparations for that next chapter in their lives, studying for their SATs, the application process, and the entire four years of secondary education competing for the right grades. Some of those kids are so internally motivated that they hit the ground running post-high school, while others follow the infamous “undeclared” track to buy more time. Many end up floundering because they simply cannot connect the dots of the “what’s next” life map.
The question for people of strong faith in the Lordship of Jesus is “What is the will of God for me right here and right now?” We want to know that we are in the dead center of God’s will for us. We want to be obedient and submit to God’s purpose for our lives. But what is that purpose? Should I expect that God must make that very clear to me? In other words, is God one who moves us along with our full knowledge of what He is doing? Hardly! God is a God full of surprises and delights in moving us along the road of the unexpected and the inexplicable. More often than not God simply does not tell us what’s next because He only hits moving targets.
Here’s the truth that we often miss. We do know God’s will while we are waiting. He wants us to “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you“(Matthew 6:33).
A Christian who is a moving target is a productive believer, one who is a real threat to the kingdom of hell, and one who walks by faith even though he or she is not sure of where God is leading them. A Christian is in the will of God when their response to life is pushed through the grid of Scripture, whose life reflects the presence of Jesus. That is living in the middle of the will of God. That is more important even than what the “next chapter” in life holds. What about this moment? Are you seeking first His kingdom in your daily life, in your relationships, your workplace, your family, and your inner character? Start there with confidence that as you wait for the Lord to show you the next chapter, you are living the present chapter right in the center of His will.
Tomorrow we’ll take a look at what it means to pursue God’s will in that next chapter of life. Do we sit around and wait for God to make our calling or life tasks abundantly clear? Or is there something else we can do?
PRAYER
Father, show us that no matter our circumstances, we can know Your will for us – to seek first Your kingdom and righteousness.
More free resources for help, hope, and healing:
Treasures of Encouragement – Learn how God sends treasures of encouragement to help turn hearts toward Jesus and how the beauty, privilege and power of biblical encouragement is a means to invite others to trust the Lord’s goodness and faithfulness in the mundane moments and especially in the broken places of life. Free supplemental resources.
About The Author: Through careful study of the Bible, Dr. Charles F. Betters embraced the doctrines of the Reformed Faith early in his ministry. Chuck’s passion for building a spiritual legacy is reflected in his commitment to preach through the Scriptures unapologetically. When the death of his sixteen-year-old son Mark confronted him with life’s hardest questions, he transparently tackled those hard doctrines and painful places of life. His messages, many found on this website, boldly encourage listeners that God is not afraid of their questions about the hard places in life. Out of the grief of his family, MARKINC Ministries was established as a means to offer help and hope to hurting people.
For more from Daily Treasure please visit MARKINC.ORG.
Originally published Thursday, 11 January 2024.
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